In a known way, the fluidic connectors of engines mounted on test benches comprise a female element in plastic material which has elastic claws adapted so as to be hooked up on a flange of a male tubular plug for passage of fluid. The mounting and dismounting cycles of engines and the successive operations for coupling and disconnecting connectors use the elastic claws of the female element.
WO-A-2011/006591 discloses a fluidic connector comprising a female connecting element connected to a duct and a male tubular plug for passage of the fluid. The female element comprises elastic claws which retain a flange of the male plug. In order to uncouple the male plug and the female element, the operator maneuvers tabs positioned around the claws for pressing on the latter and having them swing into a configuration where they are no longer engaged with the flange of the male plug and where the male plug may be removed from the female element. This uncoupling is not convenient for the operator since the latter has to maneuver parts which are accessible with difficulty. Further, if the operator does not sufficiently press on the locking claws, the latter risk being damaged, or even detached from the contact of the flange, upon removal of the male plug.
In order to overcome this drawback, the female end piece of certain connectors is equipped with a sheath which is axially mobile and maneuvered for unhooking the claws from the flange engaged on the male element with view to disconnecting the connector. This sheath in fact pushes the claws towards the outside so that the male plug may be removed from the female element without the locking claws being hooked up by the flange. However, the maneuvering of the sheath is not secured, i.e. the member for controlling displacement of the sheath is not blocked in the coupled configuration and an operator not paying any attention may uncouple the connector inadvertently or by poor use. Further, this system has the drawback that the claws are caused to be worn by friction on contact with the flange when they are unhooked forcibly.
These are the drawbacks which the invention is more particularly meant to find a remedy, by proposing a more robust and more secured male fluidic connecting element.
For this purpose, the invention relates to a male fluidic connecting element comprising:                a tubular body, which defines a central axis and a distal mouth, and        a tubular plug for passage of the fluid, which is positioned coaxially inside the body, which juts out axially from the body and which includes a flange for hooking up one or several claws of a female element.According to the invention, the male element further comprises:        a sleeve, which is movable axially around the plug between a first position, where it is far from the flange and a second position where it is close to the flange or in abutment against the flange,        a member for controlling displacement of the sleeve from its first to its second position, and        a device for locking the control member, comprising:                    a first portion able to slide inside the body around the tubular plug between a distal position of the first portion where it prevents maneuvering of the control member and a proximal position of the first portion where it does not oppose any maneuvering of the control member in order to move the sleeve from its first to its second position, and            a second portion, which is able to slide inside the body around the tubular plug between a distal position of the second portion and a proximal position of the second portion, which is able to drive the first portion of the device from its distal position to its proximal position and which has an accessible distal end at the mouth of the body.                        